Labbing is an important way to improve your skills and gain experiences with new technologies! There are tons of ways to Lab with a lot of professionals transitioning from Physical to Virtual Labs especially with CML, GNS3 and EVE-NG. In my Lab, I have been using a lot of Virtual Appliances (CSR, FTDv, PALOv, ESXI, … Continue reading Automating CSR and ESXI Deployments with Ansible!
BeaverRange – Part 1 – Synology DS723+ – Getting Started
Overview/Introduction With the help of Synology, I am embarking on the creation of a portable lab environment called BeaverRange. The objective of BeaverRange is to create a high performance lab environment that is small enough to fit in my backpack when traveling for work. At its core, the environment will consist of the following hardware: … Continue reading BeaverRange – Part 1 – Synology DS723+ – Getting Started
Synology DS1621+ – An Awesome NAS! Even Better with VMware!
After taking a little break while moving and getting ramped up on some large project at work, I am excited to jump back in to the Blog. This time we are going to be taking a look at the Synology DS1621+ that was graciously sent over by Synology! I am beyond excited to be working … Continue reading Synology DS1621+ – An Awesome NAS! Even Better with VMware!
Upgrade to ESXI 7.0 U1 with the CLI
ESXI 7.0 U1 is here and it is time to upgrade! Normally upgrading ESXI would involve Update Manager and vCenter but in a situation where you have a single host and vCenter runs on that host, your upgrade options are limited. To start the upgrade process, you will need to download and upload (to a … Continue reading Upgrade to ESXI 7.0 U1 with the CLI
Upgrading the VCSA with an ISO
vCenter 7 is here! vCenter 7 is here! vCenter 7 is here! Let's Patch! Alright it's been a few months since vCenter 7 has been released, and there have been a few patches that have been released since Day 1 to fix some of the graphical and runtime issues. Let's take a look at the … Continue reading Upgrading the VCSA with an ISO
Horizon – Installing the Connection Server
This is the first installment of a "Mini-Series" about VMware Horizon. I recently passed my VCP-DTM (Desktop and Mobility) and a lot of my knowledge came/comes from my home lab. If you are looking to install and play with Horizon this series will get you started! The connection server is at the center of any … Continue reading Horizon – Installing the Connection Server
Migrate VMNICs from vDS to vSS with ESXCLI (No vCenter)
Recently, I had to migrate my VMNIC bindings from my Distributed Switches to my Standard Switches. Since my vCenter instance was being restored from backup (Failed 7.0 Update), I had to revert back to the ESXCLI. Step 1: Validate Current vDS Switch Settings esxcli network vSwitch dvs vmware list Step 2: Remove NIC from vDS … Continue reading Migrate VMNICs from vDS to vSS with ESXCLI (No vCenter)
Cisco ISE – Password Policy
As I stated in my last post, i have been using Cisco ISE more and more and recently got locked out of my instance... You can read more about how I reset the local credentials here. I want to prevent this from happening again and there are two ways to complete this: 1 - Disable … Continue reading Cisco ISE – Password Policy
Cisco ISE – Resetting CLI Credentials
I have been doing more and more with Cisco ISE and it warranted a 2 node cluster at home. Everything was working great until the password on my local admin expired. To make matters worse, I forgot the CLI admin password... Thankfully there is a way to reset both! To start, you will need to … Continue reading Cisco ISE – Resetting CLI Credentials
Virtual Port Channel (VPC) – Base Configuration
Overview: In my last post, we talked about some differences between traditional port channels and virtual port channel found on the Nexus line of switches. If you have not seen it, make sure to check it out here. Now that you understand some differences, its time to jump into the required configuration. Configuration: There are … Continue reading Virtual Port Channel (VPC) – Base Configuration
Virtualized Taylor 